Giants lose linebacker Goff (ACL) for year

Another one.

Jonathan Goff became the latest Giants player to suffer a season-ending injury when an MRI revealed a torn ACL Tuesday, a team source said. The starting middle linebacker joins a growing list of defensive players who were expected to contribute this season -- including Terrell Thomas, Clint Sintim, Marvin Austin and Bruce Johnson -- but who now must watch as they recover from major surgeries.

Overall, Goff is the 15th player to be either waived/injured or put on injured reserve since training camp began in late July. That averages out to about one every third day. Imagine what devastation will occur when the team finally starts playing games for real.

Goff's injury occurred Monday during an hourlong practice that wasn't even in full pads. He collided with a teammate, the team source said, and injured his knee. He was seen in the locker room following the workout and showed no signs of injury. When he reported to the team's facility Tuesday morning he was still experiencing soreness in the area and was sent to Manhattan for an MRI. Those tests showed the tear in the ACL.

Goff also joins the list of recent Giants players who have suffered season-ending injuries in the same year their contracts were due to expire. Thomas was in a similar situation. Last year Steve Smith and Mathias Kiwanuka were on injured reserve for their contract years.

The Giants were looking for Goff to continue growing into his role as a player and a leader. He was expected to be on the field in some sub packages this season after playing mostly on running downs in 2010.

The loss leaves the Giants in a pickle at a position where they had very little experience beyond the starters. The team decided to keep four rookie linebackers when it trimmed its roster to 53 players over the weekend. Rookie Greg Jones, the sixth-round pick from Michigan State, was slated to be Goff's backup and will presumably start on Sunday against the Redskins. Another rookie, Mark Herzlich, played some middle linebacker over the summer as well. The Giants waived second-year player Phillip Dillard on Saturday after he spent most of the preseason as Goff's backup, but he's not expected back.

Former Giants linebacker Kawika Mitchell will work out for the Giants Wednesday and could sign with the team later in the day. He was an outside linebacker on the Giants' Super Bowl-winning team in 2007 and played under Perry Fewell in Buffalo in 2008 and 2009. But Mitchell, 31, has played in only six games over the last two seasons and just one last year with the Saints.

Another possibility could be Keith Bulluck, who was with the Giants last season. He came into camp in 2010 as a middle linebacker before moving back outside, largely because Goff won the starting job. It was unclear last night if the Giants had reached out to Bulluck. A source said they had not been in touch with Lofa Tatupu, another veteran free-agent middle linebacker.

Whomever they bring in, it's unlikely that person would be up to speed in time to play on Sunday. The Giants liked the way Jones pushed Goff in training camp. They'll likely get a taste of how well he replaces Goff on Sunday.